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The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this site is here.
Reference number for this case: 3-oct-54-Bressuire. Thank you for including this reference number in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
[Ref. hw1:] HAROLD T. WILKINS:
The author indicates that at Bressuire, France, in 1954, Angelo Dinardeau saw at dawn a saucer in a field, all aureoled with light. A being in a sort of diving suit fled into the saucer and took off in a flash.
[Ref. jg1:] JIMMY GUIEU:
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At 5. 45 in Bressuire (Deux-Sevres) Angelo Girardo, on motorcycle on the way to his work, sees a luminous machine "like a barrel upright in grass." A man of small size stood at 2 or 3 m from it. He wore a kind of dark suit but was head naked. He made signs towards the witness, but this latter, not reassured at all, fled away. |
Jimmy Guieu has the wrong date when he indicates that the event occurred on September 27, 1954.
[Ref. am1] AIME MICHEL:
Aimé Michel mentions the observation on the ground of October 3, 1954 at dawn, by Mr. Angelo Girardo, aged 55, inhabitant of Breuil-Chaussée in the Deux-Sèvres, employee at the slaughter-houses of Bressuire, who was riding his bicycle on main road 148B towards Bressuire to go to his work.
He was within 4 kilometers before Bressuire when he arrived close to the corn silo of the agricultural cooperative of Bressuire when he found himself vis-a-vis a circular machine three meters in diameter approximately which was landed on the ground.
He stopped, amazed, and saw a being of small size dressed in a kind of diving-suit beside the machine. This small being seemed to start to move towards Mr. Girardo who was terrified and escaped, but without stopping to watch the being.
The being returned towards its machine, penetrated in it, and the machine flew away at a vertiginous speed.
[Ref. jv1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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182 Oct. 03, 1954, at dawn, Bressuire (France). Angelo Girardo, 55, a stockyard dawn employee, was going to work when he saw a circular craft 3 m diameter and a small figure wearing a diving suit, standing close by. The object took off at a fantastic speed. (32; M 130) (Le Figaro, 4 October 1954; France-Soir, Libération, la Croix, 5 October 1954). |
[Ref. lo1:] CORAL AND JIM LORENZEN:
The authors indicate that on October 3, 1954, at dawn, a circular craft of about three meters in diameter was seen near Bressuire, France, by a 55 year old man who was going to work. He saw a small figure apparently wearing a diving suit nearby, and when the little fellow entered the object, it took off at high speed.
[Ref. jv1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
The author indicates that on October 3, 1954, at dawn, a circular apparatus of approximately 3 meters in diameter was seen close to Bressuire by a 55 year-old man who was going to work. A small silhouette, dressed in a diving suit was seen close to it. The object flew away at a terrifying speed.
[Ref. gl1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:
The two authors, journalists and ufologists, indicate that on October 3, 1954 at dawn, according to their newspaper clippings personal file, a workman of the slaughter house of Bressuires, Angelo Girardo, aged 55, went to his work when, had just left his residence in Breuil-Chaussée, being on his bicycle on National Road 148 B, arriving at the level of the agricultural silos of the Bressuire Coopérative, found himself "face to face" with a circular machine of approximately three meters in diameter which was posed on the ground.
He was surprised by this unexpected obstacle and put foot at ground. He saw a being of small size which seemed to him to be dressed of a diving-suit, close to the machine. The being pretended to move towards the witness, who went back in fear, but without leaving the "diver" of his sight.
The being returned to his machine and entered there, and a few seconds later the disc rose "at a vertiginous speed."
[Ref. ld1] LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT:
The magazine editors, in connection with an observation of 1972, point out that it is said that there was a landing with humanoid between Breuil-Chaussée and Bressuire, 4.5 km, on October 3, 1954, and invite to see Aimé Michel, in "Planète" page 165.
[Ref. rp1] RENE PACAUT:
French ufologist René Pacaut explains that during the course of his field investigations, he could check the credibility of old cases, like that of Angelo Girardo on October 3, 1954.
He reminds of the alleged facts: at dawn, Angelo Girardo was riding his bicycle to reach his workplace. While arriving at the height of the silos of the agricultural cooperative of the city, he saw an obstacle appear in front of him. He told:
"I put foot at ground, and I approached. It was a circular machine of 3 meters in diameter posed on the road. At its side, a dwarf dressed of a diving suit stood who, when seeing me, prepared to jump at me. I acknowledge that I had a movement of retreat, but I put myself together and I stared at him intensely. Then he climbed in his machine which took off at full speed..."
Angelo hastened to go tell that to his colleagues. The story very quickly became told in the entire city then came to the newspaper offices of entire France: the landing of a saucer on a street in the center of a town, was a rare event.
17 years later, René Pacaut searched all the town of Bressuire to find Angelo Girardo. After one day of research, he ended up finding his widow, who stated to him with a sorry smile:
"Do not waste your time anymore. Now that my poor Angelo is deceased, I can as well tell you: he had invented this story entirely. Well that's how he was, he loved to play tricks on his buddies!"
[Ref. fr1:] MICHEL FIGUET ET JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
These authors indicate that the witness was on his bicycle on RN 148B. While arriving at the grain silos of the agricultural cooperative of Bressuire, he faced a circular machine, 3 m in diameter, landed on the road. Surprised, he puts a foot on the ground. Close to the craft, he sees a small being dressed in a diving-suit which beckons to him to approach. Seized by panic Girardo backs up without leaving the being from sight. The being goes back towards the apparatus and enters. A few seconds later the disc rises at vertiginous speed.
[Ref. bb1:] GERARD BARTHEL ET JACQUES BRUCKER:
One year later Gerard Barthel and Jacques Brucker explain that it was a hoax, according to a statement of a son of Mr. Girardo. They say the invented sighting was at Breuil-la-Chaussée.
[Ref. mf1] MICHEL FIGUET:
Michel Figuet indicates that the case of Bressuire on 10/03/1954 was a hoax by Mr Girardo, deceased, according to a counter-investigation by Mr. Pacaut, and Barthel and Brucker page 177.
[Ref. go1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
The Belgian ufologist reports the brief summary by Jimmy Guieu, indicating its source, "Blackout sur les S.V.", Fleuve Noir pubisher 1956, pages 148 to 149. she notes that the date given by Jimmy Guieu is erroneous, and that the description by this author would be doubtful.
She then gives the summary by Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon in their book "OVNI, Premiers Dossiers Complets...", Alain Lefeuvre publisher, 1979, page 96.
She informs that actually, the only base that the ufologists used were newspaper articles from Le Figaro for October 4, 1954, La Croix, Paris Presse, L'Aurore, France-Soir, and Libération for October 5, 1954.
She notes that nobody referred to the journalistic source made up of two articles of the regional daily newspaper La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest for October 4, 1954, page 2 and 3 of the Deux-Sèvres issue, and that took 17 years before someone, René Pacaut, moved to locate the witness, which he reports in "Ils ont rencontré des extraterrestres", A. Lefeuvre publisher, 1978, pages 177-178.
She indicates that the affair is also reported by A. Gamard in E. Zurcher, "Les apparitions d'humanoïdes", A. Lefeuvre publisher, 1979, page 176-177.
René Pacaud revealed that it was a hoax. Angelo Girardo, the witness, being deceased, he learned from his wife that her late husband had invented the story as he loved to play pranks on his buddies.
Van Overmeire indicates that Gerard Barthel and Jacques Brucker, in La Grande Peur Martienne, also mentioned that this was a mystification, according to the declaration of a son of A. Girardo.
[Ref. sd1:] STEVEN DUNN, OCCUPANTS DATABASE:
| DATE | DESCRIPTION | MICAP_CLAS | REF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/03/1954 | Bessuire, FR 3 OCT 54 55-year old man going to work saw a 10 FT diameter saucer. A small figure in a diving suit entered the craft which then left at high speed. |
CE-3-103 | Lorenzen UTWS, pg 172 |
[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
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115. Location. Bressuire Deux Sevres France Date: October 3 1954 Time: 0545A M Angelo Girardo was traveling by motor scooter to his work at Bressuire when he noticed a luminous craft, "like a cask standing upright in the grass." A man of small stature, dressed in a dark uniform without helmet, was standing beside the object; he gesticulated toward Girardo, who sped away. When he looked back, object and man had disappeared. Humcat 1954-17 Source: Jimmy Guieu, Black Out Type: C |
[Ref. rh1] RICHARD HALL:
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TABLE 1. UFO OCCUPANT SIGHTINGS, 1954-1963 [...] October 3, 1954 Angelo Girardo, Bressuire, France One small figure in diver's suit; bicyclist came upon 10-foot disc on ground, being next to it; being entered craft and took off. [...] |
[Ref. dj1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
Donald Johnson indicates that on October 3, 1954, Angelo Girardo, 55, a stockyard employee, was going to work in Bressuire, France, at dawn when he saw a circular craft with a three-meter diameter and a small figure wearing a diving suit, standing close by. The object took off at a fantastic speed.
Donald Johnson indicates that the sources are Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia, p. 215; Michel Figeut [Figuet] and Jean-Louis Ruchon, OVNI: Le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochees en France, p. 111.
[Ref. jb1:] JEROME BEAU:
Jerome Beau indicates that on Sunday October 3, 1954 at dawn in Bressuire in France, Angelo Girardo went to his work when he saw a circular machine of 3 meters in diameter and, near it, a small character dressed of a diving-suit. The object moved away at a vertiginous speed.
Jérôme Beau indicates that the sources are La Croix, France-Soir, Paris-Presse, for October 3, 1954; Le Figaro, for October 4, 1954; France-Soir, Libération, La Croix, for October 5, 1954, and Vallée, J., case #45, "Rapport sur l'analyse de 200 observations documentées faites en 1954."
Two articles of the regional daily newspaper La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest of October 4, 1954, p. 2 and 3 in the edition of the department of Deux-Sèvres had explained from the start that it was a hoax. But in spite of that, and in spite of René Pacaut, Barthel and Brucker, and of the easily accessible sources: Godelieve van Overmeire before me, and myself in both French and English since 2002 when I opened this file, the information of the farcical nature of the case was not provided on the websites, almost all continuing to mention it as Vallée or Guieu told about it.
Hoax.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Bressuire, Deux-Sèvres, Angelo Girardo, object, craft, circular, occupant, humanoid, diving suit, speed, landing, hoax, invention
[---] indicates sources which I have not yet checked.
